Giant crocodile captured alive in Philippines

[Allhallowsday]

Giant crocodile captured alive in Philippines  
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Villagers and veteran hunters have captured a one-ton saltwater crocodile which they plan to make the star of a planned ecotourism park in a southern Philippine town, an official said Monday.

Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde said dozens of villagers and experts ensnared the 21-foot (6.4-meter) male crocodile along a creek in Bunawan township in Agusan del Sur province after a three-week hunt. It could be one of the largest crocodiles to be captured alive in recent years, he said, quoting local crocodile experts.

Elorde said the crocodile killed a water buffalo in an attack witnessed by villagers last month and was also suspected of having attacked a fisherman who went missing in July...  

http://news.yahoo.com/giant-crocodile-captured-alive-philippines-134625838.html

... After initial sightings at a creek, the hunters set four traps, which the crocodile destroyed. They then used sturdier traps using steel cables, one of which finally caught the enormous reptile late Saturday, he said.

About 100 people had to pull the crocodile, which weighs about 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms), from the creek to a clearing where a crane lifted it into a truck, he said.

The crocodile was placed in a fenced cage in an area where the town plans to build an ecotourism park for species found in a vast marshland in Agusan, an impoverished region about 515 miles (830 kilometers) southeast of Manila, Elorde said.

"It will be the biggest star of the park," Elorde said, adding that villagers were happy that they would be able to turn the dangerous crocodile "from a threat into an asset."

Despite the catch, villagers remain wary because several crocodiles still roam the outskirts of the farming town of about 37,000 people...  

[Jack]

Yikes!  I do not feel like I'd be very comfortable fishing in that particular part of the world   

[Mr. DS]

Steve Irwin would have been proud.

[Trevor]

I wonder if what they captured wasn't just the star of the next Asylum film? 

[Umaril The Unfeathered]

Steve Irwin would have been proud.

Werd, my friend, WERD!!!  I always liked how Irwin's eyes would light up like a kid in a candy store whenever he caught something and started explaining it to the audience. Steve Irwin was a man who truly loved his work and who led a truly interesting life.

As for "Croc-zilla", that thing is a pre-historic monster! There have to be bigger ones out there somewhere, but let's hope and pray that we never get to meet them! 
Crocs are unique because they basically haven't changed since their dinosaur days.

In ths day and age, with everything around us, nature still throws us a pretty neat curveball, and this is one of the neatest!

[indianasmith]

What a beautiful, giant beast!! I wish I could go see it!

[El Misfit]

Crikey! Is this the Grandson of the Giant Gila Monster?

[WingedSerpent]

I'd love to be able to see it live.  It reminds me of this nature special that was on PBS a while ago, where a herpatologist went looking for any crocodilian over 20 ft in length.  He was worried that hunting may have weeded out the genes needed to create large crocodilies.  There's evidence that hunting is actually having a reverse affect on evollution-as now the biggest and strongest are hunted and the sick and weak are left to multiply.

Seeing a monster like that would be awsome.  I've always liked reptiles and that's a great find. I'm so glad it was captured alive and will most likely be able to breed future generations of large crocs.

[Umaril The Unfeathered]

What a beautiful, giant beast!! I wish I could go see it!

You and me both, Indy!  I'd spend some serious storage space on my digital camcorder filming this creature for posterity, and as a testament to the true power of the ability of a species to mature if left in an unfestered location, allowed to do it's own thing. This is truly a rare find!